They were quick to take the plates when I was done but this waitress was a little nicer then the other staff and brought me a dessert menu. I ordered the goat’s cheese ravioli which was very nice but a small (slightly expensive) portion, and roast potatoes. I wasn’t in there very long - about 5 minutes - but when I came back, my food had already been put down, along with the complimentary bread that I should have already had. I ordered my drink and main meal and then asked to use the toilet. I wasn’t offered any specials like the couple next to me were. I was seated outside so I had this amazing view and then I got a menu dumped in front of me. I was then told I could stay for an hour and a half and then I had to leave. The waiter walked over ‘to check availability’ and I had to wait awkwardly until another waitress told me to stand with the waiter so he was forced to seat me. The restaurant was empty but I was greeted with a look of disdain when I asked if I could eat there. I had been looking forward to this restaurant since looking it up online but on arrival, the staff were not welcoming. This place would have been given a higher rating if I hadn’t received such bad service. This was a very agreeable lunch a unique space, with a white-tablecloth ambiance, a sweet breeze, nice food, friendly service, and that spectacular view. We both had a glass of Maltese white which was a Chardonnay blend, nicely dry and reasonable. I tasted it and it was quite distinctive. My wife ordered the Parmigiana aubergine with tomato, mozzarella and basil. As the menu had announced, the size was appetizer, not main, but that was the size I wanted. Then I ordered the "Aljotta", a Maltese fish soup, with the mussels, prawn, clams and fish all still delicate beautifully flavoured, if a fraction over-salted. We were eating light and so shared as an appetizer the first item on the imaginative menu: a Maltese Goat-cheese "parcel", the parcel being crisp flaky filo pastry, with an extra zing from a fig jam. It was a warm day but there are big umbrellas (though ours was a bit mildewed) and always a breeze. We were first in and promptly served by our friendly waitress. Stone everywhere, ramparts, fantastic view. From the terrace, you're looking back to the City Gate bridge and down below to the lovely stone-lined gardens where the old car park used to be. To get down to the vaults - the only draw-back - is down very steep stone stairs, but then of course, they were built for soldiers, not diners, since this was all originally a Cavalier fortification. It's the last building at the top of the hill and you HAVE to enter it via the vaulted stone cellar which is both the restaurant's beautiful indoor space and the tunnel that leads to the outdoor terrace. The easy way to get there is to enter the gates, walk past the first block, go left passing the small street market on Ordnance Street and then take the first left up the hill: much easier than toiling up the hundred steps immediately inside the gate. Finally, with the warmer weather, we got around to lunching there. As you're entering by the City Gates bridge, you look left and up, and it's tucked away high in a corner. We'd first spotted Rampila when we had family staying with us.
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